In a quiet street off from the bustle of London Bridge, Sollip has carved out a reputation for delivering one of the city’s most thoughtful dining experiences. It’s the collaborative vision of chef Woongchul Park and his wife and pastry chef Bomee Ki, blending Korean heritage with European techniques in an intimate, elegant space.
We sat down with Woongchul to talk about where Sollip came from, how it’s growing, and what it really means to build a restaurant from the ground up.
You and your wife both have incredibly rich culinary backgrounds. You could have worked at any top restaurant - what made you take the leap and open your own?
It wasn’t a sudden decision, it happened very naturally. When you live with someone, share the same goals, and talk about those goals every day, opening a restaurant together becomes something you start building without even realising it. You share your dreams, your ambitions. Even early in our relationship, we were aligned. We’d always be discussing ideas - even now we still do that every day. It’s just the life we’ve chosen. So, opening Sollip was more of an evolution than a decision.
Was there a specific turning point that made you put those ambitions into action?
Yes, when I was working in Jeju, Korea. It was like a dream job - it gave me time for my family, for myself. I could work as much or as little as I wanted; when you're starting a family you don't want to be working 60 hour weeks. So I spent time boxing in the mornings, running at night, CrossFit as well. It was probably the best period in my life for personal growth. I was free from stress, it was a great time in my life.
But even though it was a good life, we knew we couldn't live like that. We had dreams of becoming chefs, we were still young, it was too soon to live like that. That time gave me space to breathe and reflect, and that clarity helped us decide to move back to London and start thinking seriously about opening something of our own. To get what you want, you have to put in that work.
Looking back on opening Sollip, what have you learned?
A lot! But I also knew from the start I wouldn’t be perfect. It was my first time opening a restaurant. I think my strength is not blaming myself when things aren’t perfect. I try my best, and I stay realistic.
What helped is that Bomee and I support each other. Where I fall short, she steps in. That’s the strength of working as a team. Now, I’m still learning, especially about the difference between being a chef and being an owner. Running a business, leading a team, it’s all different. I’m still learning how to be both.
The space at Sollip is beautiful - minimalist and thoughtful. What was the vision for it?
Clean and simple. We like the same kind of aesthetics across art, fashion, and food - so there wasn’t any conflict. I let Bomee lead on design because I know it’s not my area, I've never done interior design or anything like that, whereas she loves it. But I would still have strong opinions on what I think works well - she always checked in with me, but I trusted her completely.
We were also limited in budget and size, so we focused on simplicity. It’s not the kind of space with dramatic architecture or high ceilings so we worked within limitations, but that simplicity became a strength.
The menu here feels super innovative and ever-evolving. How do you maintain that creative momentum?
I try not to think about it as “innovation.” For me, it’s about maintaining a high standard. That’s hard, especially when you’re tired or when you’re tempted to compromise. But you have to keep pushing.
Menu development is a process. You have an idea, you try it, and if something’s off, you try again. For desserts, Bomee does nearly everything - 90%, I’d say. I help shape ideas now and then, but that’s her domain.
For the savoury side, I’m trying to bring our sous-chef more into the process. Eventually, I want him to take the lead. We’re working towards that - discussing ideas, testing things together. I want our staff to grow too, not just execute.
You’ve said in the past that you didn’t plan to expand Sollip. Has that changed?
Yes. We originally thought we’d stay in this space for a while. But now I feel we’re limited by the size, especially in storage and layout. We can do more. So moving isn’t optional anymore, it feels necessary.
I believe in doing what you think is right, even if it’s hard. I don’t want to look back with regret and think we didn’t try. We’re exploring a few other ideas too, not just a new location, but broader projects. I can’t share details yet, but we’re thinking long term. I want to provide more learning opportunities for our team. A chef shouldn’t stay in one place too long. After two years, you need a new challenge.
You’ve started doing more events and collaborations recently. Was that a conscious shift?
Definitely. I used to be very picky, saying no to everything that didn’t feel “right” for us. If I didn’t feel a magazine or platform matched our concept, I’d pass. But I realised we need to share our story and grow our name. That meant opening up to more opportunities. So this year, I decided to stop overthinking and just say yes to more; I try first and decide after, instead of rejecting everything upfront. We’ve done more events and collaborations, and it’s been great, no regrets.
Running a restaurant, doing events, raising kids - how do you find time to unwind?
Sundays are family days. I sleep in a bit after late nights on Saturday, and then we usually have brunch, either at home or out at a restaurant we like. Then we'll do something simple, like the park. Bomee hasn’t been well recently, so I try to give her time to rest while I take the kids out - to a bookstore or just for coffee and bread. They love bread as much as I do. It’s simple time together, and it means a lot.
Mondays and Tuesdays, when the restaurant is closed, I try to fit in exercise. Boxing, running, it helps me reset. Though Bomee sometimes reigns me in if I get too obsessive about it!
Do you see yourself stepping back one day, becoming more of an overseer?
Maybe in 20 years. For now, I’m still learning, still growing as a chef. I love what I do and I still want to learn. But I know the day will come when I’ll have to choose to be on the floor or to oversee from a distance, or to step back and let others lead.
The key is preparing for that. Not just for me, but for our staff. Right now, they rely on me a lot, but I want to build a team that can lead without me. That’s the only way to grow.
People think because you’re the owner, you have all the answers. But I don’t, I need advice, I need input. Running a restaurant is a learning curve every day.
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